Learning to Believe Again
by VTCentaurea
Summary: Sequel to The Mage. AU. In their first adventure, a beautiful friendship was both born and seemingly lost. This time, time has taken it's toll on both their hearts and memories. Will their reunion be enough?
1. Prologue

Thunder rolled by rattling the windows to the point of normally eliciting concern, but instead the sound offered the same comfort as the bright glow of the fireplace. This would count as one of her reading nights, had she been alone. That was the only downside to the evening and it was difficult, when gazing into the bright green eyes across from her, not to wish she'd spent the night on the town.

State your business." The detective drawled with a demonic smile, wanting to keep her possible employer on their toes.

"I am told that you and I have a common acquaintance." The red-head drummed her fingers nervously on the arms of her wooden chair. The same wooden chair that she had brought from...

"Is that so." Her mind attached strings, it had as long as she was able to remember, but getting it to stop was another subject entirely. A quick roll of her eyes seemed to do the trick perfectly as she molded back into character. The eyes skimmed down her desk to find her paperwork, which was long since finished. Still, all it took was the hint of boredom, and those slim tapping fingers were clawing with desperation on the desk, seeking her undivided attention.

"They also say that you are good at finding people...and I need to find him."

"Go on." The sigh came out as regretful, despite the intrigue that consumed her.

"The Doctor. I need to find the Doctor."

At this, her head snapped back up. Impossible, that name was not uttered here - was not spoken in front of her - had not been for centuries.

Her eyes bore dangerously into the frantic gaze of this incompetent woman. "Hear this from me now." She began in a low voice. "The Doctor cares not for you, he never has for anyone. You wish for his presence and seek it so blindly, but I assure you that he will only come on his own time: which, in your case, shall be never. Give up this fools dream, and return to your petty and peaceful life. Have a nice day." Her eyes returned soberly the papers and she dragged a finger across as if suddenly, the blasted reports held all the secrets of the world.

"Ms. Ryder, that man... That man is my best friend. We are here because of Weeping Angels, I _need_ to-"

"Ms. Pond, I will take your case, but set yourself up for the disappointment for that is the only thing that you shall have." With that, she stood, showing her teeth in that same grin before continuing. "And, as I suppose I am now to find myself in your company more often than I would have," _desired_,"expected, you will be needing to call me by my own name."

"I know your name, it is Margaret-"

"I despise that alias." She snapped out. "Mage, if you please."

"Mage? Like the magic, wizardy-"

"No, Mrs. Pond. Not like the mythical sorcerer. It is a name, my name, and it comes from the very _acquaintance_ of which you have spoken."

* * *

**_Author: I decided to continue with this beloved story of mine thanks to some of the loveliest that I received. I apologize for not making the beginning of this very long, but it is only the Prologue. _**

**_On another note, because I feel I must state this, Mage is not going to be a romantic interest for the Doctor. They are merely very good and old friends. _**

**_I hope you all enjoy what is to come because I have many great plans for this story!_**


	2. Chapter 1

_The feeling of silky blades of grass caressing the space between her toes, a soft breeze lifting her ebony locks to join her crystal-grey eyed gaze at the crimson heavens, and the sweet everlasting scent of home..._

_Her tree stood tall on a hill to her left, proudly reaching its shadow over like a hand to claim her attention with the chill of it's icy touch. This, however, was the least of her worries for under the leaves stood the one that had haunted her dreams for so long. _

_A man, but not just any man, stood waiting with arms open wide and a glowing cocky smile that was soon blurred by the rapidly flowing liquid in her eyes. _

_"Doctor!" Mage screamed as her hand, too, reached across the open meadow into the darkened air. The icy shade bit at her fingers angrily, but the sensation refused to meet her conscious. _

_That one word had done it, as it always did. The welcoming look turned sad and his hands dropped. With his hands, she knew the sky would dull and fall to crush the hope and lives of the Time Lords, because this was the day her life turned dark, the moment she would give up on happy endings. _

_This was the moment that the Doctor was leaving her once more._

_~~.~~_

Mage blinked her eyes open, scowling at the damp feeling on her cheeks. It had been a month since she had accepted Amy's case, a month since the nightmares had returned.

An animalistic growl escaped her lips as she noticed her surroundings. It would not be the first or last time that she would wake up in her study with a makeshift bed of pillows and the old wooden office chair, but that did not stop her from despising the aches that it brought to her back and limbs. Time has to catch up with us all one day though.

What seemed to dampen her mood only further was the picture staring at her from the pages of an old blue diary. The face was different than the man she remembered but one look into those green eyes told her everything. Not only was he her Doctor-her very alive Doctor- he was, without a doubt, completely in love.

"Fool." Mage spat half-heartedly at the diary before closing it and tucking it safely into her satchel. It was time to leave the comfort of this home and get this meeting over wi- **_knock knock knock._**

Mage's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Visitors were hardly brave enough to venture the long, swampy drive to her mansion, save the occasional "pop-in" from her obnoxious neighbors. She could not afford friends in this life: could not risk the heartbreak.

The door swung open before she reached it, but it was not the red-head that stood there. Her glowering stare faltered at the sight of a strange mahogany-haired woman with a illuminating and mischievous smile. "Can I...help you?" It took her a moment to remember her usual hissing tone. A moment too late.

"Yes, Mum." The girl chimed in like a child on Christmas morning. _It was a wonder that she did not giggle along with it. _Mage rolled her eyes and sighed. "My name is Clara, and I have heard that you are in need of an assistant?"

The Gallifreyan's interest was instantly gained but she masked it with the suddenly important task of retrieving her parasol. "Who told you this?"

"A man. A very odd man, indeed. I met him in the square." The girl explained this slowly as if it were something that had been on her mind a long while. _A man. The Doctor._ Mage gave an exasperated sigh. That fool knew of her case, knew that she was searching for him. And this woman, _this child - _Mage's expression softened- she was her ticket to finding him.

"Well, my dear... what are we waiting for, then?"

* * *

**_This chapter was much shorter than I intended, but I assure you that the rest of it will be longer. _**

**_Notes: Clara is, of course, Clara Oswin Oswald from the new season and this is merely one of her "lives". Also, the blue diary is River's Diary as well because I like the thought that she would have ended up with it after all the years of searching for him while telling herself that she wasn't. _**

**_The next chapter should include more characters from Doctor Who, but it is doubtful that the Doctor will be in it for quite a while but he will be indirectly interacting with the two ladies during their journey alone. _**


	3. Chapter 2

"Where are we going, Ms...?"

"Child, you should know your employer's name before you accept a job." Mage scolded lightly as she stared out of the windows of the vehicle. After five minutes of the much-appreciated silence, her gray orbs shifted back to the young woman who was, in that moment, still radiating her curiosity. The detective smiled despite herself, but still swallowed down the victorious giggle that had suddenly threatened to release. "Mage, dear, just Mage. I shall not have you using formalities if you are truly going to be around for some time."

This time, the silence seemed to last even longer. It was obvious the restraint it took for Clara not to repeat her first question, but this was likely to be the only time they would have for training. There was no telling if anyone they would be associating with would be nearly as patient.

"I have a case." Mage finally spoke up, feeling suddenly - to her displeasure - breathless.

"A case? I'm not sure that I am-" Clara's voice dropped slowly as she spoke, but the older woman brought one manicured finger up to her lips and hushed softly.

"Have you ever heard of a man named 'The Doctor'?" There it was again, the painful tug in her chest at the mention of her savior and friend.

Clara seemed to immediately notice the change in her mood and that cheerfully excited smile was back in place before the next beat of her hearts. "Not sure I have, mum." The girl stated outright with a slight flush in her cheeks. "Though I have not been in need of any medical assistance in some time."

This laugh was not so easily avoided and was sudden enough to throw her head back against the seat. "Not that kind of Doctor." Mage said once it had slightly subsided. "You will understand soon enough." She reached a hand forward to grasp gratefully at the maroon cloth that encased her new acquaintance's leg. It was the closest to a thank you that she would be likely to manage but still earned her an impossible widening of the girl's smile.

_Contentness, _Mage internally noted the feeling as soon as it sprung up within her. Almost just as quickly, her hand drew back as if it had touched flames, but she was careful not to let the warm look drop. _The years alone are definitely taking their toll_.

"The pressing problem at the moment, however, would be my lack of knowledge about you." Where the words came from, she would not know. It was true living with humans and the Doctor for most of her young life had trained her to wonder. It was also painfully true that wondering got her into all of her messes.

"I grew up in a small town a couple miles from here. Came here looking for 'better opportunities', as they would call it."

"They?"

Clara drew saddened eyes away from her new boss to stare out of her own window. "My parents." The two words held a burdening weight in them for reasons that the detective was unsure she wanted to know.

"Well, my dear... Count yourself lucky that they did. Because this... this is the opportunity of a lifetime." Outwardly, she patted the same knee that she had so fondly squeezed earlier while inwardly she scowled. How was one human's unknown sob story worse than the millions of others?

_You're growing softe_r _with age._ Mage sighed, then turned her head in unison with the vehicle swerving ungracefully to the curb. Irritation at her driver quickly overwhelmed the moment and helped her to sweep out of her car with a level head. Later that chauffeur would be in need of a scolding, but it was a better idea not to wake her soon-to-be hostesses rudely. Slowly, she glided up the front stairs and knocked the lightest her nerves would allow.

Clara followed the movements carefully even though she was oblivious to the necessary caution. _Should have explained on the way._ Mage cursed her own forgetfulness and had time enough to motion for the girl to stand beside her before the door was swung open.

"It's you!" The woman on the other side all but shouted, staring as if she were a ghost. Mage cringed under the loud exclamation but gave a guilty smirk.

"Hello again, my friend."_ Two slips in the same hour, my we are getting soft._

"No, not you." The dark-haired woman waved her off flippantly then pointed at Clara. "It's her!"

"Do I know you?" The young woman finally spoke from behind Mage's left arm and Mage slowly turned to her with a confused glance.

"I'm sure this must be some mistake, Jenny. Miss Clara..." Her eyebrows furrowed at the realization that she did not yet know her last name.

The time of hesitation was all they needed for another figure to appear on the staircase landing and begin drawing nearer to the three of them. "Ms. Ryder."

"Mage." She corrected quickly through clenched teeth, then nodded her greeting. "Good evening."

"My dear, the Doctor will need to be informed immediately." The reptilian woman addressed her wife as they both stared at Clara.

"What do you mean?" Mage snapped at them both in unison with the girl's confused voice.

"What we mean, Ms. Ryder, is that after all of the years that he searched, you have found her."

* * *

**_Author's notes: _**

**_I did succeed in making this chapter longer than the last, but still not as long as I'd like them to be. Hopefully the next chapter will 1. Not take as long and 2. Be the correct length. _**

**_I do hope you are all enjoying the story so far as well as the new added-in and probably temporary characters: Vastra and Jenny. I needed some way to connect them to the Doctor without being in danger quite yet and the two of them seemed to fit perfectly. _**

**_Any notes/critiques/concerns are much appreciated! (:_**


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